You Idiot
by Monte-chan
Summary: BeastBoyxRaven, with RobxStar implied. Uses animated series canon. What should have been an average battle leaves Beast Boy on death's door and Raven with time to think. "You idiot...Why?" Complete, and now including an alternate ending.
1. Part I

Author's Note: _Thought_; **Flashback**; _**Thought in Flashback**_

I do not own _Teen Titans_, but I wish I owned a T-Car. I also wish I had a driver's license, but that's beside the point… Anyway, please read and review.

* * *

**Teen Titans: You Idiot…**

Part I

It was a perfect day in Jump City. The sky was clear for miles. The sun gleamed brightly against the windows of the skyscrapers downtown. If one listened closely, he could hear the citizens scream as they scurried away from the formidable robot army, the makings of yet another mad scientist bent on global conquest.

This one was Dr. Crow. True to his name, the maniac stood on a hover platform declaring his intelligence with slender legs and a lengthy, beak-like nose. His open black lab coat, continuing his likeness, fluttered behind him like wings from the light winds.

"Go, go, my battalion! Show your mechanical might to the fools who dare to doubt my brilliance! Soon Jump City, then the country, and finally the planet will be mine! CAW CAW CAW!" His evil laugh made the final touch to his animal affinity.

Following their master's commands, the white and black robots, some with claws, others with lasers, started to spread through the business district. Some unfortunate souls could only watch from their office windows as androids crushed their cars with raven fists.

Yep. Another perfect day.

It was for days like this that the Teen Titans leaped—or to be specific, flew and drove—into action. As the army had split in half by the time of their arrival, Robin had divided his team accordingly.

"Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy, you guys intercept the group heading west. I'll go east with Starfire."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Cyborg could not help but smirk at this decision, remarking to Beast Boy and Raven, "Trying to get her alone, I bet." The green shapeshifter snickered at this while the empath's pale face showed nothing.

"It's nothing like that," muttered the boy wonder. Though Robin and Starfire were officially a couple since the Titans' adventure in Tokyo, he kept his relationship away from the battlefield, or so he tried. There were still times when they held hands a little bit longer than normal when one would help the other up.

Beast Boy's snickering at the flustered Robin came to a halt after Cyborg's next joke:

"Hey, maybe you and Rae'll be next."

That remark certainly threw the green joker off. He admitted that he did feel a little different around Raven from the others since the team had formed. That was a few years ago, back when the Gordanians—and by proxy, Starfire—landed on Earth.

_Maybe it was when she first laughed at me…_

**A light giggle. "You know, you're pretty funny."**

**"You think I'm funny?" A wide-eyed face.**

Raven's rebuttal shattered the flashback. "Right… says the one who has a picture of Jinx in his closet." Beast Boy's laughter resumed. _That idiot,_ she thought. _Beast Boy and me? I'd laugh if I let myself._

"How'd you…? Never mind that, we got butt to kick," the half-machine declared as the robot horde continued to spread.

* * *

Minutes later, the air boomed with explosions, multicolored from the Titans' attacks. A flurry of starbolts washed green waves of energy at the androids, who retaliated with missiles. A sonic cannon's blue blast contested with and was victorious against red lasers. A black blast of magic smothered and crushed even more of the enemies. Green claws and talons tore metal apart, and a titanium staff slammed it flat. The fight was hectic.

With their AI recognizing the threat, the robots soon managed to form circles around the two Titan groups by sheer numbers. Fortunately, for Starfire, the machines were not equipped to fly (quite strange for a villain who emulated a bird), so she and Robin were able to take down their part of the army a bit easily. However, the robots' heavily offensive weapons grounded Beast Boy and Cyborg, not giving them a break. Rather than use Starfire's tactic, Raven chose to stay grounded as well to back the boys up. The hundreds shrank into dozens after a while, though, thanks to the Titans' patented teamwork.

A small circle surrounded Cyborg, and he changed to melee attacks, punching through some of the robots' ivory-colored heads. Beast Boy and Raven, separated from him, slashed a few of their closest opponents apart with claws and energy blades. Unfortunately, while they moved over to Cyborg, the duo did not notice a would-be demolished robot crawling from a pile of broken asphalt. Its top half still barely functional, the weakened automaton crept forth with a broken hand, sparking with electricity. All of its battle damage left it with faulty wiring, leading to its ammunition chamber overloading to even deadlier capabilities. Its mission to destroy the city still locked into its AI, the android pointed the weapon at one who would interfere with its one true purpose.

The nearest target was Raven's head.

Beast Boy heard the shot charge up first. "Raven, look out!" Raven saw the red glow from the corner from her eye. She, however, was making a shield that was already blocking three robots' assault. As the dying robot released the blast, the shield pressed back to slam the others against a wall. The half-demoness tried to change focus, but it was too late.

The laser closed in. The rare thought of fear rose as Raven closed her eyes for her imminent fate. _No…_

The crimson flash subsided.

Raven opened her eyes to see a huge green Man-Beast wobbling on its feet, falling back to reveal a massive wound on its chest.

_Beast Boy…_


	2. Part II

Author's Note: _Thought_;**Flashback**;_**Thought in Flashback**_

I do not own _Teen Titans_, but I wish I could have owned Adonis, the man in the red super suit, in "The Beast Within." What a jerk. He did say Raven was "fiesty", though, and I can't argue with that. Read and review.

* * *

**Teen Titans: You Idiot…**

Part II

The evening's orange sky eventually darkened into blues, and finally to black. The calm, cloudy night seemed to leave the hectic afternoon behind. The moonlight slipped past the thin clouds and softly reflected on the windows of the Titans' Tower.

The only real tension of such a quiet night was in the atmosphere of the Tower's hallways. The Titans minus one saw Cyborg leave the infirmary with a tired gait. His human eye struggled to stay open, reflecting the hours of keeping Beast Boy alive after the intense ride back home. The half-mechanical medic diagnosed his patient.

"That blast he took was bad, real bad. It grazed his heart, broke some ribs and hit a lung, and changing back to normal looks like it made the damage worse. If he didn't have that beast blood in him…" His red robotic eye seemed to dim with his mood, though the latter was low enough already. "Could be weeks, months, I don't know," his shoulders dropped in both exhaustion and sadness, "but he's in a coma." A sigh was his release.

While she could easily hide her emotions from others, Raven's ability to feel others' emotions was only semi-voluntary. With enough concentration, she could tune in on certain people and decipher their feelings; otherwise, the sentiments of any one could hit her any time, overwhelming her. Therefore, she constantly set up barriers to predict when and how much of an emotion would hit her. Yet she could never brace herself for the wave of melancholy that hit her when Cyborg uttered those last words; she had to hold on to the wall just to keep standing.

Even behind his mask, Robin's visage still showed grim surprise. His teammates were misfits alone, but together unstoppable. They faced off against Trigon the Terrible, a demon from another world, and won with no one injured beyond a few sprains or fractures. From a logical standpoint, this was nothing. _It shouldn't have come to this. This type of thing just shouldn't be. It can't._

It only took one look at Cyborg to see his mood. His natural eye pointed down and seemed to find much interest in the floor. No matter how long he looked at that unconscious form, Cyborg could not get over the fact that Beast Boy, his friend, no, brother was on that bed. His thoughts were the same as that of Robin's.

The ex-sidekick's shock and the robot-man's despair combined could never match up to the fountain of woe that poured from Starfire. For one whose very powers stemmed from emotion, the alien princess' reaction was perfectly natural. Those around her, however, had to cover their ears to try to drown out the sobs and Tamaranean rants that echoed through the halls. Robin held her, despite her almost deadly grip, and walked her to her room.

"What about you?" Cyborg's question broke Raven's attention from the spectacle in front of her.

"Huh? Oh, I don't know, really. This kind of thing happens, I suppose."

Cyborg's one eyebrow rose. "I know you're, well, you, but I'm surprised you aren't in there," he said, nodding to the door of the infirmary. "You two are always hanging around each other. I'd think this would be another one of those times."

Raven turned toward her interrogator. Now it was time for her eyebrow to rise. "You and that same joke again? _He_ is always hanging around _me_."

"That's no joke. Heck, Rae, eight hours ago, Beast Boy sav-"

The empath's face slightly frowned at his persistence. "And if you really do know that 'I'm me,' as you put it, then you also know that I will only go in _if_ I feel like it."

Cyborg turned to the door again. "Well, _when_ you decide to visit him, and _if_ you need to talk, I'll be there." He was the unofficial big brother of the group, and despite his current duties, he would make sure that what he said would be true.

Her face slid back into its normal scowl, not far from the previous expression. "That seems fair enough. I am going to bed." She turned her back on her robotic teammate, walking off to the safe haven of her bedroom.

_How do I feel?_ she wondered. _Beast Boy did… save… my life._ Her footsteps slowed as the thought finally hit her. _In fact, I don't remember much after—_

**A Man-Beast, eyes slowly closing, a large paw clutched over the wound, his breathing faint, shifting into the form of—**

Raven quickly shook the sight out of her head. She did not realize that she had already reached her room. In spite of herself, she shuddered. _I was only trying to get away from Cyborg, but maybe I really do need some sleep._ Just as the darkness of her cloak melded with the darkness of her room, she muttered back to Cyborg, "Good luck."

* * *

As he prepared to keep watch on the resident shapeshifter, the half-robot sighed one last time for the night. _This is gonna be a tough time. Hurry back, green bean._ The sigh shifted into a yawn. _Man, I'm tired_.


	3. Part III

Author's Note: _Thought_;**Flashback**;_**Thought in Flashback**_.

To keep it looking separate from the present day, the memories are in italics (and separated by line breaks). Specific moments within them (flashbacks) are in bold, like in Part I.

I do not own _Teen Titans_, but I do wish I owned Robin's briefcase from the episode "Revved Up." C'mon, I can't be the only one who wants to know what's in there! Read and review.

* * *

**Teen Titans: You Idiot…**

Part III

Raven walked through the T-themed doors of the Titans' Tower living room with the need to clear her head. She needed tea. She took an immediate turn to the right. Though the kitchen was messy, the search was short, since her kettle was always in the same place. In a few minutes, the light odor of jasmine wafted through the kitchen.

As she took the first sips, Raven looked past the mild darkness of the living room to the coming dawn. Just beyond the rocky shores of the island, the ocean's colors brightened and the sky became a palette of reds and yellows.

The tea really did clear up the cobwebs in her mind. The blur of emotion from yesterday calmed down into something more distinct.

_The battle._

_A flash of light._

_A blur._

_Talking to Cyborg._

_Well, not everything is back. Wait… we were talking about… oh, right._ With a sigh, Raven anticipated that this bright morning would be a contrast to the upcoming day.

* * *

She was right. The living room was usually bustling with sound by noon. Starfire would be practicing a dish she saw on a cooking channel, often failing horribly. Robin would be struggling to listen to his favorite music over the sounds of a (_completely mindless,_ Raven thought) video game, courtesy of Cyborg and Beast Boy. Cries of "Booyah! This race is mine now!" and "Duuuude, no fair! My controller's busted!" should have been bouncing through the walls.

Instead, Raven only heard a light shuffling as the others, Robin in the lead, stumbled into the room. If she could see his eyes, she would see them burned out, a result of his worry and scant rest. Starfire's bloodshot eyes, a strange mixture of her natural luminescent green orbs and a scarlet haze washed over them, were due to crying to sleep. Cyborg's eyes almost matched each other in redness. Unlike his teammates, however, whose eyes seemed to look into the distance, the machine-man had his fixed on the monitor he recently installed on his wrist. In his color scheme of blue and silver, it displayed the vital signs as well as surveillance of the comatose Titan.

Robin grunted a hello to Raven and moved past her to the refrigerator, snatching up an apple. Starfire and Cyborg each grabbed a dish they prepared the morning of the incident: marlok stew and a ham sandwich, respectively.

Long, quiet minutes passed before Robin stood up and announced, "I'll be training." Starfire added, "I will be in my room making something for Beast Boy's return." Though her words suggested hope, her voice's dull tone reduced her message's impact. A glimmer of hope returned. "If anyone would like to help…?" Her attempt at togetherness dropped as the team's disposition answered otherwise. "Very well."

Cyborg ended, "Y'all know where I'll be." Each Titan retreated to their areas.

With nothing else to do, Raven retreated to her room as well.

* * *

After a few hours of reading the Caltharan Scrolls, Raven tucked them away into the dresser. She slipped from the edge of the bed into the center, legs crossing as she went into the lotus position.

Meditation sessions were the only time Raven could attempt to gain peace and quiet.

_Azarath Metrion Zinthos…_

_Azarath Metrion Zinthos…_

Quiet, indeed. For one perceived as a Goth by some of her adoring public (yes, the Titans did get fan mail), the atmosphere was actually a bit depressing. This was only a day after… the incident and her teammates were like this? _It hasn't been this quiet since Terra—_

_Terra_. Raven could not help but grip her cloak in mentally uttering that name. As soon as she said it, and before she knew it, the memories poured in.

* * *

_She was the gangly, bespectacled girl they found in the cliffs near the outskirts of Jump City. She was the girl who had trouble with her powers over earth. She was the girl who Beast Boy attached to far before she begged him not to tell, the girl who ran when the team found out._

**Robin continued with his offer. "I know you have trouble controlling your powers and we can help—" **

**The blonde hero dropped the yellow communicator in surprise. Her blue eyes widened in anger at Beast Boy. "You told him?"**

"**I didn't--"**

"**You promised! You lied to me! You lied!" She sprinted away from the group.**

"**Terra, no! Wait!" Beast Boy ran after her, followed by Robin, leaving the others confused. After a long five minutes, the shapeshifter came back with her butterfly hair clip, his ears drooping, his face dropped like a stone, repeating what he said at the island shore.**

"**She didn't even say goodbye…"**

_But Terra returned, and with control over her skills, no less. Yet, contrary to her general acceptance of the earthmover during their first meeting, Raven did not trust her the second time. Even when Terra helped defeat Slade, something nagged the empath's mind. Maybe it was a vision that occurred when Raven bumped into her. Maybe Terra just obtained control a bit too quickly. Something was wrong._

_Whatever it was, Beast Boy did not care. He and Terra were inseparable from then on. She was the third player in the Titans' daily video game sessions; the latest partner in ground-to-air battle training; the newest member of Beast Boy's stankball team (surprising everyone, Robin became a willing member of Cyborg's team); and of course, Beast Boy's new guinea pig for jokes. The living room filled with laughter almost every day, often due to the jokes that Raven would normally dismiss. Raven thought that it would have been a little quieter since Beast Boy finally stopped talking to her, but was greatly mistaken._

_Raven not only had to endure their noise, but their goofy looks at one another when they thought no one was looking. Cyborg, of course, mocked the emerald changeling about his crush, and he would deny it every time, eyes awkwardly darting about above green and scarlet cheeks. For a reason she could not explain, those moments made Raven sick._

_The fun ended to a halt. Terra left again, only to return, with a vengeance. She attacked them all, without remorse and stronger than before. By summoning old enemies, she split them up and took them down one by one. Raven had the pleasure of fighting her first._

"**Terra."**

"**Raven."**

"**Traitor."**

"**Witch."**

_The ex-Titan had been working for Slade the whole time, learning their secrets and spitting them back in their faces. And what hurt the most, besides Terra's attacks of mud and stone, was that even with her incomplete trust in Terra, Raven somewhat liked her._

"**I trusted you! We trusted you!" Raven's temper exploded. "We gave you everything but you treated us like dirt!" The darkness reached out further with every object she hurled, but to no avail, as Terra's augmented power began to grip the half-demoness into the watery prison.**

_The team fought her one last time. Beast Boy was… aggressive, to say the least. Raven witnessed the look of hurt as he fought, as he watched the blonde struggle to escape her opponents. It was even discernable as he morphed from animal to animal. _

_He went off alone, and when everyone found him, Terra had him pinned down. In a rare moment (and in recollection, she was now), Raven was impressed at what Beast Boy did next._

_Despite his perilous situation, despite what emotions were pouring through him, Beast Boy spoke clearly, and with conviction. Terra did not have to be under Slade's control, he said. It was her power and her choice. Just as abruptly as it started, the standoff was over. He got through to her. She defeated Slade (at the time, it seemed for good) and sacrificed herself to save the entire city._

_The Titans promised to bring her back, somehow._

* * *

Raven still remembered that look on his face at the funeral. It was worse than the first time Terra left. _Those eyes_… _That girl…_Just remembering them both lit a spark of anger, and pulled up a question. _Why is this all coming back now?_

Another question was also unanswered: _Why do I even care?_ _His Terra issues have nothing to do with me._ _For Azar's sake, I barely even like him._

One name arose in her mind, however, and she had to admit, they did have one thing in common: Raven knew about betrayal, as well. As with Terra's, that name was one she could never forget: _Malchior_.

* * *

_A dark magician trapped in a book, he apparently ended up there in a battle with the malicious dragon Rorek a millennium ago._

_His lustrous, silver eyes and hair could only be complemented by his silver tongue. He told her she was beautiful and misunderstood, not dark or "creepy," like a certain green teammate once brashly remarked. He taught her his skills and spells, asking her to help him be free._

_Raven changed, bit by bit. A lighter wardrobe, humming, and to everyone's (especially Beast Boy's) surprise, smiling. It was, of course, whenever she mentioned Malchior._

_The final change, however, surprised her. Malchior's magic was dark and more difficult to control. She confronted him, but with his silver tongue, he pleaded his case._

"**Without these spells, we can never truly be together. Enchanted pages or no, I'm still trapped within this book, and you're ****still alone." He glanced down at his hardback prison on the podium, then back to her. "Is that what you want, Raven?" The paper figure gazed with questioning argent eyes. "To be alone?"**

**Tearful amethyst eyes answered, "No."**

_She was vulnerable, and ate up every word he said, every enchantment he showed her, hoping that she would never be alone again._

_Thus, she freed him, and just as easily as she let him in, he cast her aside. Malchior was the _dragon_, not the wizard, and he was using her. He told her to accept it; she would be alone again. And even when she knew he was a liar, even after she used the magic he taught her to seal him away in that same accursed book, she believed him._

_Yet, despite the dragon's taunts in her head, she still heard the boy with ruffled green hair knock on her door, apologize for earlier and remind her._

"**You think you're alone, Raven, but you're not."**

* * *

_I can't believe I actually hugged him then. That stupid, blank face of his. _She almost giggled, but reduced it to a smirk. _Wait… what?_

_Grr…Get out of my head!_ She shook her head and gritted her teeth in the silence. _Why does he keep popping up?! _To her relief, the second surge of memories ended. She gave an irritated huff. _So much for peace and quiet._

He was right, though. She was not alone. All of her adventures, ever since she floated into town during the Gordanian invasion, told her she had friends. Reluctantly, she concluded that he was not, or perhaps should not be, alone either. _I should get this over with,_ she announced. _I should be there._

A yawn escaped, and she looked at the clock. The session took longer than she thought. _Correction: I should be there—tomorrow._

* * *

**Hope you all had your fill of line breaks and italics, everybody. This took a while to put in due to the episodes of _Teen Titans _I had to watch, and of course, my ever-fuzzy memory. Like before, thanks for waiting and reading.**


	4. Part IV

Author's Note:_ Thought_;**Flashback**;** _Thought in Flashback_**.

I do not own _Teen Titans_, but I wish I owned Raven's magic mirror from "Nevermore." Happy Raven seems kind of fun! The changing gravity and creepy landscape, though, not so much. Read and review.

* * *

**Teen Titans: You Idiot…**

Part IV

_A yell distorted from the sound of crushing metal._

_The blinding glow of a vermillion laser._

_Blackness, for a second._

_Then, a huge green creature, its body limp, its bloody chest heaving weakly._

_A hoarse cry. "No…"_

The blast of the Titans' crime alarm rushed into her bedroom. The red lights' flash was visible just underneath the door. Slightly frazzled violet hair reluctantly popped up from the pillow.

For Raven, sleep was not easy, especially after her meditation session the night before. In fact, it was almost 9 a.m., much later from her usual wake up at dawn. Every time she dozed off, however, those same sights and sounds would surface.

She knew they were from the incident. They had to be. The vision—memory—nightmare always centered around that moment, and like her recollection yesterday, after that was a blur. _Why can't I go further?_

There was one possible reason she could think of: she had not seen _him_ yet. _Maybe he's the answer; he might… trigger something. For now, though…_

The Titans united in the living room as the alarm began to cease. The computer array rose from under the big-screen television. Robin addressed the team as they all watched the map on-screen. "Someone at the Second National Bank is calling herself the Terrible Toad. Cyborg's staying here to take care of Beast Boy so it's up to the three of us."

For the first day since the incident, Starfire's light frown replaced itself with a glare of determination. No one would get hurt again. Besides, she needed something to take her sadness out on. "We will win."

Raven's face, as usual, did not change. She marked the new villainess as a mere distraction from her plan. "I guess tea"—_and other things_, she added mentally—"will have to wait."

* * *

A woman with incredible girth, a green and black bodysuit with green metal gauntlets, and a hunched posture burst through a wall of a bank in the western part of the city. She slung two bags of stolen money over her shoulder.

"None can stop me!" the villainess announced in a deep croaking voice. "Now you can all watch as I leap into fame as the greatest thief ever! Mwaha—oof!"

A birdarang to the face quieted her impending evil laugh. Robin swooped by grappling hook into the scene; Starfire and Raven hovered on either side.

The large woman noticed the formation. She was new to Jump City, but did hear of the team and knew at least one thing. "Hey, aren't there usually five of you?"

"Please do not remind us." Starfire muttered.

Robin changed the subject with his obligatory hero banter. "That doesn't matter. You'll still be eating flies in a jail cell before long. Titans, GO!"

The Terrible Toad rubbed the bruise forming on her right cheek. She slowly deepened her crouch and dropped her stolen gains. "Grrr… now I'm hopping mad!" Releasing the tension on her powerful leg muscles, she surged into the air.

The Titans split apart as the Toad landed toward them. A boom resounded as her landing left a crater.

The shockwave caused Robin to lose his footing in a second, giving the Toad a moment to open her wide mouth. Her huge tongue, weighted at the tip, lashed out and slammed into him.

As he flew into the distance, Robin aimed an explosive disk at the Toad's feet, sending her airborne. Unfortunately, the villainess merely righted herself and landed a few feet back. Using the force of her landing, she launched at his now defenseless body with ballistic speed.

Starfire, however, hurtled herself at and intercepted the black and green cannonball, crashing her into a wall. In retaliation, the Toad grabbed large chunks of debris and tossed them at the alien princess. Starfire smashed each of the four pieces with a punch, but did not foresee the tongue that wrapped around her and smashed her into the ground.

The amphibious adversary's face shifted into a smile as her tongue began to retract. _Two down, one_ _to—wha?_ Suddenly, her most versatile weapon halted in mid-air. The smile that once formed on her open maw dropped as something covered her weapon in black energy.

"That's enough of this." Raven floated into view, her left hand outstretched and covered in her familiar magic. As she retracted and shot it forward, the tongue moved in accord, flying back to its owner. It made contact with the Toad's face, causing her to stumble back. Raven reached back and started again. The hapless woman's tongue collided five more times with her own skull before the villain fell forward and down.

The others collected themselves from their landing points. Robin managed to dust himself off from his short flight just in time to see Raven's reversal. The only thought through his mind was _Ouch. That must have hurt._ "Um, good job, Raven."

Starfire got up from her crater. She shook off the concrete and frowned, as she knew that there was still some in her hair, but was relieved Robin was okay.

Raven levitated over to them, a smirk belying her impatience.

"So, are we done here?"

* * *

**Hey everybody! Man, has it been a while. This cursed ancient laptop has been going through some things, and everytime I went to the "You Idiot..." file the computer just _happened_ to freeze. Stupid universe...**

**Well like I said, it's been a bit too long, so here's a little something to tide you over. I was going to put this and the next chapter in one, but I decided to split them to tick you guys off some more. Oh yeah... and I haven't finished the second half yet. Till next time, readers!**


	5. Part V

Author's Note: Thought; **Flashback**;_**Thought in Flashback**_.

I do not own _Teen Titans_, but I wish I owned Beast Boy's Doom Patrol mask. It's so adorable! Not to mention its E-Bay potential, heh heh… Anyway, read and review.

* * *

**Teen Titans: You Idiot…**

Part V

A little over a half hour passed since the Titans took care of the "distraction." Cyborg finished changing the bandages on Beast Boy's back. To the mechanical medic's relief, many of his cuts already healed, attributed to what Cyborg called his "beast blood." _The little guy never ceases to amaze me._

Cyborg heard the door of the infirmary slide open. The cybernetic half of his brain deciphered whose footsteps entered the room.

"Hello again."

"Hey." He knew the Titan's identity, but Cyborg's head still had not turned from his work.

"This is… day three, right?"

"Yep." Cyborg looked to the computer on the left. Much like his wrist computer, the lines dictated Beast Boy's vitals in the familiar color scheme.

"I guess I'm taking your advice."

"So you did."

"But I'm only here because I need answers."

"Okay." Cyborg turned around to meet Raven's pallid and placid face. "Do you want to be alone, or…?"

"No, it's fine." Feeling chivalrous, the robotic Titan offered his gothic teammate a chair.

While Raven adjusted her seat closer to his patient, Cyborg had a thought that he wished he could have saved for a better occasion, certainly not one such as this. Considering the last big moment he uttered said thought, he hoped it could have related to the two in front of him. He could not take it back, however, and he almost mouthed it before stopping himself.

_It's about time._

Beast Boy's skin had lost its original color, the green of the lush African jungle he once called home. Now its verdant pigment was faded, like an old shirt left in the wash. If his eyes were open, they would be dull, lacking the usual life and exuberance of the once-joking Titan. Underneath the respirator mask, the light fog showed his weak breath. The soft beeps of the heart monitor, showing blue plains and hills against a silver sky, stayed at even time.

Despite such a weakened condition, his observer noticed that the youngest of the Teen Titans would not be a boy for long. Were it not for the bandaged wound, his abs would show some definition, a result of the Titans' missions and, unknown to anyone, his own personal training. His chin even showed some very thin green stubble. His shoulders, however, still did not seem nearly as developed. With a little more training and time, Raven mused, maybe the boy would make some heads turn. _It wouldn't be _my_ head, of course…_

Raven looked up from her reverie at Cyborg's words, not far from her own thoughts. "Yeah, I noticed too. He's not such a kid anymore."

At that statement, Raven suddenly remembered something, and almost gave a chuckle. "I'm still not calling him Beast _Man_ though."

Cyborg only half-heard this, as Raven merely muttered it to herself. "Huh?"

"Nothing."

Cyborg shrugged it off. As the two half-humans looked at the green teen, neither realized that they were both thinking of the same day, a day that left Raven and Beast Boy in a similar situation as this…

* * *

_It started with his attitude. To put it nicely, Beast Boy was…a jerk. He shoved Robin aside to scarf down his food, which was already strange enough—except the boy wonder's breakfast was ham and eggs. He even ordered Starfire to get a soda while hoarding the TV—quite a feat when the one he talked to was a princess, and a super-strong one at that. It was fortunate for the green changeling that she was also a mild-mannered princess._

_Then he started lashing out. He was much too serious after he lost a video game race to Cyborg—the metallic Titan did not think his friend's claws could be so sharp. The others decided not to call him for it, since they attributed it to a fight that happened last night. The youngest Titan did not look too happy then, even after the messy defeat of the super-suited braggart, Adonis._

_One specific outburst, however, took it too far. A simple bump into Raven started it._

"**Sorry." The cloaked sorceress was engrossed in a favorite novel of hers and did not look where she stepped, so she took the blame.**

"**You better be. Why don't you watch where you're going?" Beast Boy blasted, not even breaking stride as he prepared to turn the corner.**

**Raven glared at his passing form as she picked up her book. "On second thought, I'm not sorry, and you're a jerk."**

**That did make him break stride. He jerked back around and changed direction. "You know, Raven," he stepped closer with each word, "I've been a really nice guy for a really long time." The once haughty voice now became darker. "I've put up with your insults, and your attitude, and I've **_**had**_** it!"**

**His face by now was mere inches away. Raven could feel his hot breath and hear his increased heartbeat. His teeth gritted, making his feral face look like one of a predator whose home was threatened. Fiery orbs of green met calm pools of violet.**

"**Consider this a warning. As of last night, Mr. Nice Guy has left the building."**

**Rather than leave it alone, Raven chose to analyze the last few moments. The boy in front of her was different. Some of his words sounded formerly repressed, yet twisted now out in the open. The emotions she felt flying away from him were just as convoluted as those words. **_**What is all of this? Anger? Fear? Arrogance?... Lust?**_** She fought a shudder as she replied to his "warning."**

"**Is this the part where I'm supposed to be intimidated?" A **_**very**_** small part of her was.**

"**No, this is!" The changeling cried as he shifted into the form of a Sasquatch, with its fists poised to strike…**

_Somehow, the team stopped him. Robin was less than pleased at his teammate's attitude and the others were certainly confused at the scene they prevented._

_By then the Titans were convinced something was certainly amiss beyond his being a sore winner. Even then, no one realized that behind those eyes was something other than human. No one knew that the team would later pursue it after hearing a horrible scream. No one knew that that…_Beast_… would hurt a friend._

"**She's alive, but she's in some kind of trance." Cyborg explained. The semi-conscious form of the resident half-demoness floated inches above an infirmary bed, a telltale sign of her self-enchantment. Her face was not in its normal scowl, but completely blank; her daily mission was finally accomplished. With the indigo cloak laid to the side, her teammates were able to see the light scratches on her limbs as well as a slight wound on her left shoulder, the injuries left behind after the attack and her unwilling journey.**

"**She's healing herself." Robin concluded.**

"**And you're telling me… **_**I**_** did that to her?" Disbelief displayed itself on the shape-shifter's face, as usually did his emotions. Steel-titanium alloy shackles chained the rest of him down to a chair on the opposite side of the room as Raven's bed. Cyborg recently attached the heart monitor to him, which beeped steadily and calmly. "That's impossible!"**

"**We found you with her." The masked leader had his back turned to his captive teammate.**

"**No. I wouldn't! I mean, we had a fight, but I would never—" His thoughts were just as garbled as his words. **_**No, no way, not to her, she…she's my friend! I--**_

**Starfire interrupted, keeping a distance away from the one interrogated. Beast Boy was a friend, of course, but with what she saw in the sewer, she was unsure what to think. "She was in your teeth."**

_**WHAT?**_** "That's a LIE!" The heart monitor spiked for that moment.**

**Robin turned abruptly and stepped over to him, brown eyes looking squarely at the metahuman from behind the domino mask. "I'm going to have to ask you to keep your voice down."**

**Beast Boy, suddenly losing the flame in his eyes, looked down to his hands. They quaked under the metal bindings, gripping the ends of the chair arms. His eyes slid over to his comrade's condition. **_**Could I have…? No… maybe?**_

"**What's happening to me?"**

_Cyborg told him. The fight the previous night put Beast Boy in contact with unstable chemicals, slowly changing him from within. The cybernetic hero confused him with his jargon, something about recombinant DNA, but he forced himself to stay focused._

_When Cyborg finished explaining what was going on within Beast Boy's body, and what he finally did, the reaction was instant. He was shocked._

"**Raven… she's gonna be alright, isn't she? I mean…" The shape-shifter's eyes were still unwilling to blink. "…she's not moving."**

**The medic said nothing. Emerald orbs that once looked in worry now turned away in guilt from the one he wounded. If he kept running free in that bestial state before the Titans detained him, it could have been much worse. **_**I could have…**_

"**What have I done?"**

_Cyborg could not remember a face so morose before then. It only appeared again when it came to BB and someone else, but he refused to bring that up right now. The last thing he wanted to think about was funerals when the one closest to her laid there in front of him._

_To everyone's semi-relief, the team later found out that Beast Boy was not the creature that attacked Raven. True, he did transform into a Man-Beast, but he was not the only one. The same chemicals that changed him afflicted his earlier opponent as well. Apparently, the animal that was Adonis came to the Tower to get revenge on Beast Boy, but encountered Raven instead, leading to her harm. The Titans, therefore, found Beast Boy with her for one reason._

* * *

"He saved me."

"What?" Yet again, despite his electronic ears, Cyborg did not catch Raven's words.

"He saved me." She repeated. "And he used that Beast form to do it. _Again._"

Cyborg caught on. "Just like that time—"

She snappily interrupted. "Yes, I know. How could I forget?"

"Yeah." Cyborg replied with a sad chuckle. "That day was weird for everybody." Moving over to Raven's side with a chair of his own, Cyborg decided to change the subject and shift into big-brother mode. "But forget the past. Will you be okay now?"

"Yes already!" she blurted and jerked her face to meet his. Catching herself, her voice slipped down to its normal pitch as she turned away. "Stop asking me. As I said before, I am only here for answers. I have none, so there's no reason for me to stay anymore."

Cyborg, as per big-brother protocol, accepted his teammates' attitudes. He could not add his two cents, however, before Raven continued. "I will be fine. People come. People go. People get hurt. Even… ahem… even…" Her throat got a little tighter as she fought to say his name.

"Even Beast Boy."

The clipboard at the end of Beast Boy's bed crashed into the closest wall. The onyx glow disappeared.

"Um… I'll get that." Cyborg gave a light pull and dislodged the object. One of the main tactics he used when helping his family's problems was patience. He asked questions for their wellbeing, not as an interrogation. _No hiding it now. She'll need to get it off her—_

"He's just so annoying!" The outburst made Cyborg drop the clipboard. _Yep, just as I thought._

"He could have just let the blast hit me! He could have just let me die!" Raven barely suppressed her voice through gritted teeth, and Cyborg could swear he felt his chair was floating a bit off the ground. "But no, he had to stand there, he had to save my life, and now he's like this!" She gazed angrily at her savior. "Why did he have to be so… so _stupid!?_"

Cyborg had some ideas, but he decided to keep them to himself, out of respect to the one being insulted. Besides, he knew Raven was not truly asking him, but the so-called fool. "I would try to answer for him, but I think he should say that for himself. You should ask him when he wakes up." The robotic teen placed a hand on the violet-haired Titan's shoulder. "And he will wake up, Rae."

Raven heard him, and her gaze softened. Her eyes fell down to her hands, and the amethyst orbs began to sting. She blinked a few times and saw her hands again. A lone tear left its mark on her right hand.

"You idiot… _Why?_"

* * *

**Finally, I got through this part! I made you guys wait long enough, I think. It was so hard for me, since, like Raven, I barely show emotions (which is why I like her; she relates to me just a bit). Trying to show this moment without being sappy (or at least, too sappy) and keeping it all connected was the big challenge in this chapter.**

**On the other hand, I'm almost done! The next chapter will probably be the last. Since they haven't really been here for most of this (mainly because they're my least favorite, and like the show, only some of the characters are central to the plot), Part VI should answer the question, "What about Rob and Star?" While you wait for that, feel free to look back at Part I, which has, as of July 23, 2009, been edited to show a bit more detail. Till next time, my Titanic readers.**


	6. Part VI

Author's Note: _Thought_; **Flashback**; _**Thought in Flashback**_

I do not own _Teen Titans_, but I wish I owned Control Freak's remote. There have to be millions of people who have wanted to jump into a TV show, especially this one. (Jumping into TV is one of my top fantasies, right up there with a portable time machine.) Besides, who wouldn't want to see the Titans Together vs. Dr. Light battle up close? Read and review.

* * *

**Teen Titans: You Idiot…**

Part VI

Days blurred. The halls of Titans Tower were quiet. No games, no laughter, not even arguing had echoed its way around the building since the day of the incident. The summer sunlight did not even seem to penetrate the Tower's dozens of windows; a blanket of sadness covered them all.

Raven actually loathed this "peace and quiet." She knew it was because there was something missing, a sort of light or energy that faded from the Titans' home on the cursed day. She herself felt drained, sleeping later, even losing interest in some of her books. Even in meditation, in the times when she could focus, she could taste the salty depression of her surroundings—and some within herself—on her tongue.

She—they needed him back.

_And he will come back_, she told herself. She refused to give up on the fool who got hurt. She had something to ask him, after all. Yet the melancholy pressed down on everyone, and the waiting was just so… annoying. Somewhere in the first or second week (without any important battles or interest in anything, she could only vaguely remember) she tried to remedy that.

* * *

"You've been spending more time down here recently." Raven paid a visit to the team's leader. As he was the only other Titan who seriously attempted to keep his feelings reserved, she decided to have a talk. Varied equipment, such as automated weights, treadmills, and projectile launchers, littered the training room. A passage linked to the Olympic sized room a floor below. Besides the opposite breathing of the two bird-named Titans, hers calm, his harsh, the only other sounds in the room were the smacks of green gloves making contact with a wooden dummy.

"True." Robin let out a grunt as a right forearm cross-chopped over a wooden one. "But I'm not stopping. I'll tell you the same thing I told Cyborg when I saw Beast Boy in the infirmary:—" another grunt, this time from a kick to the left side of his imaginary adversary— "This won't happen again. I have to make sure." The boy wonder kept his eyes on the inanimate opponent.

"As much as I don't want _that_ to happen again," the sorceress' fists tightened slightly at the word 'that', "how do you know it won't? You never know when we will have a fight like that again."

"And that's exactly why I'm training." A heel drop connected with the "head" of the stiff-armed pillar.

"I told Cyborg something too when I saw… him." Again, she found it hard to say the name. "I told him, 'People get hurt.' And people—"

"I certainly know that. We almost lost you, remember?" A right hook made its mark.

The gruff remark almost startled Raven. It was, of course, strange for someone to remind you of your own sort of "death." Fighting her father was one of the most harrowing trials in the team's career, yet there was one thing that mattered in the end.

"But I came back. And he still has a chance to do the same." She had to admit, it felt strange to be the positive one on the team, but none of the others was here right now. She also had to admit that she was not just saying this to him, but to herself.

Raven elicited a sigh and carefully placed a hand on the acrobat's shoulder, halting Robin's next attack. "I may not be the right one to say this, but you should relax." Her placid countenance shifted to a slight smirk. "Maybe talk to your girlfriend?"

Robin's rapid breathing began to slow as his shoulders slumped. He turned around with a weary look on his face, eyes seeming to droop through his mask. "You're probably right, you know." Rare moments like this, where the two actually talked to just one another, reminded him that Raven entering his head some time ago gave her a bit of insight as to how his mind worked. He knew that she knew he was merely avoiding things (including his relationship), making her right yet again. Still, he would not let this loss go completely. It may have seemed peculiar for him to say, but these were peculiar times. Nevertheless, a shadow of a smirk slid onto his face this time as he started to walk through the sliding door.

"In the meantime, maybe you should see your _boy_friend."

Raven's face fell back to normal.

"Very funny."

* * *

"It is nice to see you here, Raven. It has been quite a time since we have all talked to one another."

"Yeah, but I figured this… thing would be sort of hard for everyone." The Azarathean's other stop on her "tour" was to see her essential opposite, the alien princess Starfire.

Starfire's room, once forbidden territory for Raven, emphasized their differences. The room's bright purple and pink tones (two of Starfire's favorite colors—she liked almost all of the bright ones) almost hurt the magic-wielder's eyes. The glowing-green eyed teen covered her dresser with stuffed toys and trinkets from her various adventures around the world, as well as during would-be quiet dates with her primary-colored loved one. Raven's dresser was slightly messy as well, but with literature and candles instead of plush animals.

"It certainly is hard." Orange-tinted fingers wrapped around ends of flowing red hair as the former monarch's voice dropped with her mood. "I wish that accursed day had never come. Every time I think about it, a pain wells up inside. That scientist…" her hands almost threatened to glow with energy as she envisioned the villain's face. "I fear that with this sadness, I may lose my power of flight." As she mentioned her fear, the natural glow in her emerald eyes seemed to fade. Closing her eyes, the redhead whispered, "I pray to X'hal every night for our friend's return."

"Trouble with your powers, huh?" Raven still had trouble meditating, still had the dream, even after she saw him. In a few occasions, she would wake up to see herself, or objects in her bedroom, levitating before crashing to the floor—she lost a mirror that way. In addition, though she would not admit this to her friends, on the night of her visit to the infirmary, before she drifted to what remnants of sleep she would get, she had silently prayed to Azar.

"Me too."

"Really? I knew I was not alone! Though we are separate, we are all still connected." Suddenly, Starfire's eyes relit as she remembered a mission she appointed herself in the beginning of this trying time. _I cannot believe I had almost forgotten!_ Resurged with a bit of new life, the princess hurriedly opened a drawer (clearing out a few souvenirs in the process) to reveal something, placing it into pale hands. "I have been making this to _show_ our connection. Robin helped." She looked over to Raven in silent thanks for convincing him to leave the training room for other reasons than food and crime. The empath nodded in understanding.

"No one said anything when I asked previously, but it seems like things are changing, so…" Starfire desired nothing more than for everyone to be together, and maybe the object in her dark friend's lap would be the catalyst. Pulling out her most innocent face, she offered, "Would you like to help?"

Raven looked down at the object, mulling it over. _Why not?_ She peeked inside. Eyebrows rose at the contents, and she quickly shut it closed. Locking her eyes on her sisterly opposite, the darkly cloaked Titan knew how to reply.

"Of course."

* * *

Time passed, but now the curtain of melancholy instead lifted off just a bit higher. Thanks to Raven's little tour, the team could finally open up and meet outside of mission briefing. For once, more than one visitor was in the infirmary at once. One day, the entire team had awkwardly collided at the door, and all decided to share good times.

"Remember when he switched your hair gel with barbecue sauce?" Cyborg laughed.

"Oh yeah. _That_." The boy wonder could still recall wondering why dogs kept mysteriously showing up whenever he went on patrol. "I gave him double duty on dishes for that stunt."

"I still don't think he actually did them." Raven muttered, putting a skeptic eye on the patient just to her left.

"I remember when Beast Boy switched your CDs with salami." Robin replied to Cyborg, cutting off his laughter.

"Not funny." Cyborg was surprised that for someone who vowed against eating meat, the green teen had such a unique use for it. Then another thought came up. "Hey Rae, remember last Christmas?" he asked slyly.

"Ah yes, _that_," Raven dryly replied.

* * *

"**Merry Christmas, everybody!" The cry rang out as Beast Boy burst into the living room. He sauntered over to the couch, where he spotted violet hair, and set his dangerous plan into action. "Merry Christmas, Rae."**

**She heard the jovial greeting, but kept her eyes on the TV. "It's Raven." A sigh escaped, "…and merry Christmas."**

"**Check out what I bought at the mall yesterday."**

**The magic-wielding Titan began to turn around. "What did you buy that could possibly interest—" **_**No.**_

**The sight she saw would haunt her for the rest of the day. Beast Boy was wearing a green beret. What almost made Raven run, however, was not his headgear, but what was hanging from it.**

**It was a sprig of mistletoe.**

**Raven slowly stood up and backed away from the couch—**_**no, not today, not in a million**_**—only to bump into Cyborg, who silently witnessed the little scene with a curious grin. "Pucker up, Raven. You know the rules." Raven, who glanced behind her at Cyborg with a glare, now turned back to the prankster.**

**Beast Boy, who once started with a mischievous smile, now replaced it with a nervous one. He bought the hat on a whim, a crazy scenario; he never thought he would actually get this far. He would try to… now he could barely think of it, she would slap him and they would go their separate ways until they opened presents. Now he actually had to… to kiss her.**

**Raven, meanwhile, wanted nothing more than to push Cyborg aside and run to her room, where she could quiet down the weird feeling in her gut. She could not tell exactly if it was disgust or nervousness, or maybe a mixture of both. **_**Curse him, curse Cyborg, curse that mistletoe, curse my luck…**_

**Then she realized that she could indeed move Cyborg. **_**Or better yet…**_

**Beast Boy went for it. His face inched closer, his eyes closed, his lips slightly puckered until… he made contact.**

**The first clue that something was wrong was the slight cold. Sure, he thought that Raven **_**acted**_** cold from time to time, but this was just strange. In addition, though he had not kissed many girls in his life, he could tell that what he connected with did not actually **_**feel**_** like lips.**

**The last clue was Cyborg's cry. "B, what the heck are you doing?"**

**Beast Boy pulled back and opened his eyes to find out. What he saw was not the pale lips and angry eyes of the dark Titan, but the smooth, cool metal of Cyborg's chest.**

"**Gah! CYBORG?!" He leaped back in shock. "Where'd Raven go?"**

"**She disappeared into the floor a second before you made out with my pecs." The mechanical teen shook off the weirdness and patted the groaning Beast Boy on his shoulder. "Maybe next year, loverboy."**

* * *

"I'm sure he'd be trying to shut my mouth right about now. 'Dude, don't talk about _that_!'" Cyborg tried his best Beast Boy impression, which was stretching out 'dude' and speaking in a high voice.

"Well, I wouldn't blame him. That was awkward for _everyone_ involved." Raven flatly stated.

"Yeah, yeah." Though that was true in Cyborg's case, he still had something to say. "You know you liked it."

"Again with this?" Raven blurted. "Must I repeat that I do not like him in that way?" she explained through gritted teeth, eyes focused on the one foolish enough to make the joke. "You keep saying it, and I keep denying it. You even convinced Robin!" she exclaimed, pointing to the masked hero, whose eyes rose at the attention placed on him.

Rather than either of the boys responding, Starfire was the one to add an interesting point. "But you do like him, correct?"

The fire in her violet eyes defused as Raven thought about it. "Well…" She looked over at the boy in question, his eyes still closed and his body still motionless, except for his chest as he breathed. "I don't hate him. I did help you with that project, after all."

The princess twirled her fingers around some locks of hair, and her eyes closed in solemn recollection. "Yes. I still wait to show our gift to him."

"We're all waiting, Starfire." Robin's green-gloved hand rested on his girlfriend's shoulder. "We're all waiting."

* * *

**Hello again, my Titanic readers! I know I've been hyping up the finale since last month, but there were even MORE technical difficulties with my computer. Check my deviantart account (aka my homepage link on my FFN page) for the whole story.**

**Also, since I told you that you'd be figuring out what Robin and Starfire were doing, I decided to make it a bit more detailed, and eventually filled up about a Microsoft Word page or two. Then the idea of everyone having a chat came up, and I still didn't completely make the ending... basically putting everything I had together would have made this chapter disproportionately long and hard to keep coherent.**

**So, I'm sure you guys are mad that I'm not done... but get over it! The end is coming. (And no, not the 'giant red devil, turn everyone to stone, "The Earth... is... MINE!"' end.) My goal is 50 reviews after posting Part VII (which should be the last part, FOR REAL this time). Till then, hang loose, or stay solid. Whatever works.**


	7. Part VII

Author's Note: _Thought_; **Flashback**; _**Thought in Flashback**_

I do not own _Teen Titans_, but I wish I owned all copies of the episode "Things Change"… so I could take it out of canon!

Just one episode before, Beast Boy lead a ragtag team of young heroes and helped stop a worldwide organization of villains, the Brotherhood of Evil, ending in the reunion of ALL of the Titans for a supreme showdown. He ended his story arc fairly well, right? It wasn't a bad ending for the series and our favorite green bean, right?

Oh no, that's not allowed for him. At the end of his story arc, he dwelled on Terra again. Oh, wait! She wasn't Terra, the girl Beast Boy was essentially stalking for twenty minutes was just some schoolgirl… or was she?

The question (and the episode) gnawed on my mind for a time. Then I saw episodes like "Nevermore" and others mentioned throughout this story, and my frustration grew. Eventually I forged that frustration and a scene from "The Beast Within" into this little piece.

Now that you know why I started this, it's time to end it! Read and review.

* * *

**Teen Titans: You Idiot…**

Part VII

Raven entered through her bedroom's sliding doors with a sigh. _What a hassle._ Today's lovely little diversion was a man named Camo, a villain specializing in the abilities of a chameleon; his powers of invisibility combined with 360-degree vision made for quite a troublesome opponent. It was incredibly lucky that it rained midway into the fight. The team really could have used someone else to distract him, or someone who could track him with other senses.

They really could have used Beast Boy.

Right now, after such an evening, Raven reasoned that she could also use some rest. Speaking with her teammates for the past few weeks made sleep come a bit easier, though the dream would still occur. As her violet-topped head and the same-colored pillow met, she hoped that maybe tomorrow would be better. Something within—perhaps a magician's, or even a woman's intuition—told her that it would at least be something different.

* * *

While the rest of the team slept, one decided to continue his vigil in the infirmary. The metallic medic, however, felt himself drifting off. His cyber brain was working strong but his human half was so very tired. The rhythm of the heart monitor's beeps only helped to serve as a lullaby. _Maybe I'll sleep just for a few minutes…_His right eye drooped just a bit, almost sliding shut…

Then he heard something. The sound was fleeting, but the emptiness of the room allowed it to carry to his ears.

He thought he heard the sheets move.

Cyborg's eyes looked out again into the dark room. Other than the same old monitor array, and the same green patient, nothing stirred.

The robot-man shook his head a bit. _My head's just playing tricks on me,_ he figured. _Sure, I'd like the little guy back, and I am really sleepy. Just need a little—_

There it was again, and again. This time it happened a little louder. Cyborg bolted out of his seat. The sheets definitely moved.

Cyborg almost flew to the bedside. He was watching it all.

A green index finger rose. Then the middle finger jerked; then both fingers. Soon the whole right hand rose before it collapsed.

One leg bucked.

An arm jerked.

The entire sequence unfolding before him entranced Cyborg, but one last thing broke the spell.

With a moan that broke the near-silence, Beast Boy opened his eyes.

A voice hoarse from lack of use croaked out of a mouth that had not opened to speak in weeks. "Wh-where am I?" Green eyes looked blearily up at the ceiling and a blue and silver blob that clarified into an old friend, and a weak smile surfaced. "Hey, Cy." Bits of his mind pieced themselves together. A robot, a flash… then a face flew to the forefront. "Where's Ra…ugh." Breaking through the darkness that he resided in for days took more energy than he could muster for a moment longer, and the formerly comatose Beast Boy now merely went to sleep.

The sole witness to the event raised the yellow and black communicator to his lips, and through the tears pouring from his natural eye, choked out the words. "Titans… to the infirmary."

* * *

The rest of that early morning filled with barely suppressed surprise and anxiety when the team heard the news. Everyone resolved to wait until he woke again. The anxiety only intensified as the youngest Titan woke up and saw the others. He blurrily scanned the area and witnessed each of his friends' reactions.

Robin's eyes widened to the point that their size risked breaking his mask.

Starfire's eyes became a familiar mixture of vermillion and verdant, but not from lack of sleep (though everyone did arrive at around 4 a.m.). She could only barely resist the urge to crush the still-healing boy in her mighty but joyous embrace. She had a feeling she would fly strong again.

Raven, however, was silent. Cyborg glanced over to her and, as usual, her face told him nothing. Despite the nearly blank slate of a visage, he still saw that her eyes focused on the green shapeshifter as he shook his head clear. He could also see that her hands were just lightly trembling, slowly beginning to clutch onto the inside of her cloak.

Just as Beast Boy slid his vision from Starfire over to the sorceress, she pulled up her hood and quickly left the room, but not before adding something for everyone—yet specifically someone—to hear.

"I'll be on the roof."

* * *

The young woman waited, closing her eyes and chanting her phrase as the black sky lightened to a navy-blue. The calm breeze lightly skated across her now uncovered violet hair.

_Azarath Metrion Zinthos…_

_Azarath Metrion Zinthos…_

The light shaking in her hands soon subsided. Her resolve returned. She would ask him and then she could end this.

_Azarath Metrion Zinthos..._

_Azarath Metrion Zin-_

She halted as the elevator door to the roof whooshed open.

"Um, hey," a sheepish, slightly cracking voice slipped out.

Her eyes snapped open, but she continued to look into the distance.

"Cyborg told me to come up. I told him I figured you wanted to be alone."

"It's fine," she said with a remembering sigh. The boy was never one to try to read between the lines. Now she actually wanted him around (if only for this), and he was not even sure if he should have come. She nearly chuckled at the irony.

Though she still did not turn her head, Raven heard the soft stumbling footsteps of the ex-Doom Patroller as he made his way over. At the end of his journey, Beast Boy lightly sat near the edge of the roof, making sure not to jostle any sore spots.

"Cyborg says I've been out for a while, for—what did he say?"

"Twenty-four days," Raven muttered without hesitation.

"Wow." Beast Boy's jaw slacked a bit before giving a chuckle. "I've got a lot of TV to catch up on." The shapeshifter let off his trademark fanged smile, even though his teammate could not see it.

Just then, he noticed a sound he had not heard since he had gone into Raven's mind, this time barely audible, brief, and therefore from the real Raven. "Did you just… laugh?"

"I suppose it had to happen sometime." Truthfully, it had been so long since she heard a joke from the changeling that she did not remember how to prepare herself. There was also the fact that she almost… missed it.

Before she could continue with that, the empath forced herself to focus on the matter at hand. "Beast Boy…" She finally said his name after so long. Her magic did not seem to slip away from her mental grasp. At least, not yet. "I need to know something."

She truly looked at him for the first time since his reawakening in the infirmary. He wore the same old suit as always, black with purple straight down the middle. The suit hid the scars from various battles, most nearly invisible due to his advanced healing. His face was surprisingly clear and the green of his hair and skin was just as strong as the morning before the incident, again because of his "beast blood."

Considered with his face were, of course, Beast Boy's eyes. The light in them returned since his revival. In the light were the happy memories of his families, both biological and super heroic. It was the same light he had when he was with the team on movie night, or after a victory against one of their foes—or when he convinced Raven to leave her room after a strange day in her dreamscape.

She knew that just under the shirt, however, were bandages covering the aftermath of what he did to keep her alive today. She kept that in mind as he turned to her and his face slightly grimaced from the pain. Violet orbs staring into verdant ones, she asked the question.

"Why did you save me?"

His eyebrows raised in surprise. Sure, the question made sense, but he was still not ready to answer. Indeed, he had only been awake for a few hours; he was still trying to walk straight, let alone think about something like this. "Well…" He looked out to sea, focused on the horizon in contemplation. "I don't know exactly. The battle's a little fuzzy in my head, but I do remember seeing you. All I know is when that thing pointed at you, I just _moved_. I also remember that I was… you know… before I blacked out."

She definitely remembered that; it was the last thing she remembered about the incident. "Yes, yes, I know. You used it to save me…again." The cloaked Titan's urge to know grew stronger as she slightly rushed through her words. "But what I want to know is, _why?_"

"Um, I think it's because… uh, because…"Again, the ex-comatose teen tried to think back, focusing his brainpower more than he ever did before. He knew that his Man-Beast form was the strongest in his arsenal, and he knew that he never usually intended to tap into it since the first time he transformed. It was almost as if something guided him, telling him when to use it, maybe his conscience, maybe instinct or the primal side itself. That only happened once before…

* * *

**Beast Boy's mouth gaped in shock and fear. Slade's army of demons, each nearly formless and seeming to be made of the Earth's own lava, swarmed about the now-foursome as the Titans launched a last stand against Trigon and the prophecy. The foreboding sky was black with a crimson haze, a reflection of the intergalactic monster's power as well as the flames left behind by Slade's warpath.**

**He really wished he did not ask, "You and what army?"**

**Yet he recognized that this was not the time to be afraid. Any fear, any doubt, he would let loose on these creatures in front of him. Just behind him was his home—as well as his friend.**

**He saw her tears just a few hours before, when she witnessed the end begin. He heard her messages of hopelessness. Yes, her father was the incarnation of evil, the source of all darkness. Yes, he conquered multiple worlds before his imprisonment. Yes, he chose Raven as the one to help him annihilate the universe. But when that door closed to her security room, as her face hung in sadness and she clutched onto that penny, he made a decision.**

**He felt the beast within spike in power just a bit. It wanted out. Maybe it would get its use after all. His body's flesh began to shift, claws and teeth growing with his conviction.**

_**If they want her, they're gonna have to go through me.**_

* * *

Then everything clicked. He did not need to use his brain to answer this one; the answer lied somewhere else. It was the same reason he used the Beast then, and less than a month ago. It was the same reason that it did not hurt her in the first place. It was because…

"Because I care about you."

The spell-caster could only let her jaw slack as his words hit her. A weak "You…" managed to slip out. _He…cares about me?_

She looked into his eyes again; the spark was still there. This time, though, there was something else. It was strong and true. The emotion she felt coming from him carried unfamiliar warmth. His face held no impish grin, no poorly hidden prank. He was dead serious.

"You… care about me." She repeated, this time aloud, just to make sure it was true.

"Yeah. I do." Suddenly, Beast Boy's face faltered as he finally blinked, breaking eye contact. Raven sensed a wave of something spike from him: nervousness. He began to stutter as his eyes found much interest in the elevator and the rest of the roof. "Y-yeah, w-we all do! Me, Cyborg, Starfire, even Robin, and all he cares about is fighting crime, heh heh!" A weak smile crept across his mouth with that uneasy laugh. "Oh yeah, and Star."

The laugh died quickly as well as the grin. He glanced away to the early morning skies. The blue continued to brighten in these early hours, a testament to summer days. His voice quieted down with his next words. "If… if you were gone, we'd be destroyed, you know—wh-what are you…"

The green teen's voice disappeared as a sudden warmth covered his body. His conscious mind was going numb, but he somehow got his arms to wrap around the one hugging him. From her he smelled old ink and jasmine, and felt… other things. Fortunately, Raven could not see the heat rising to his face, though she may have felt his intense heartbeat. The only thing he could hear, outside of his heart pumping, was the nearly silent but fervent words, "Thank you."

Suddenly she went slack. His body could barely react to the sudden weight on his shoulders. "Uh, Raven?" He pulled back from the hug, only to see Raven's distant gaze. She was not here right now. He lightly shook her, thinking something was wrong. "Raven?"

* * *

"**Raven, look out!" The menacing red glow fell into her vision. She handled the robots that had her in a lock, but the laser was too close. She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable. **_**No…**_

**The next sight she witnessed was the Man-Beast, its bloody chest barely rising and falling, the body slowly morphing back into the team's most lively member.**

**Now here he was, still and silent.**

_**Beast Boy… No…**_

**Raven's mind fell into a haze as something within began to take over. Her eyes, now starting to glow white, saw the two-toned machine barely three yards away, its energy nearly gone, a hand disfigured, and its body sparking with loose and frayed wires.**

"_**You." **_**A voice colder than ice echoed from the half-demoness. "**_**You**_** hurt him." Her right arm reached out, her palm wide, and a raven's talon made of black magic, lashed forward to smother the minion.**

**A pale hand sharply closed, and the dismembered robot was now a compact ball of circuits and scrap metal.**

**She turned her head again to the rest of the battlefield, seeing Cyborg fight his last few dozen enemies. The ghostly white glow darkened to ominous red. A black aura surrounded the empath, complete with talons covering her normal hands. Raven, now with anger in control, made a resolution: anything sharing the face of that robot would die.**

* * *

"Raven? Raven, wake up!"

Her mind slowly moved back into the present. "I… I see…"

"Raven, are you okay? Speak to me!"

Beast Boy's attempts to shake her awake began irritate her. "I'm fine, I'm fine, just let go." She harshly pushed him away.

He sighed in relief, though he admitted to himself, he did not exactly wish to break away from her that abruptly. "Whew. You were gone for quite a few seconds there. I thought I'd have to call Cyborg to take _you_ to the infirmary." Whether that was a joke or not, neither Titan knew.

"Like I said, I'm fine. It's nothing. I've just… had a question answered." She looked at the horizon, the skies changing yet again, now with an orange tint beginning to form.

Beast Boy wondered what exactly the question was, whether it was the one before or entirely new, but he let it slide. "Hmm, okay." Then a thought came to him, and a light smile graced his visage. "So," If she wanted to ask something, it was only fair that he get to ask a query of his own. "Did you miss me?"

A moment of hesitation surfaced. Should she tell him about the recurring dream since the start of his coma? Should she tell him about the buried memory that just now arose, showing her retaliation for the near-loss of her—well, she supposed she could admit—her friend? Should she tell him about the tears she shed after seeing him in the infirmary? There had to have been something she could say.

"It was… quiet while you were away."

A smug smile made its presence on the changeling's lips. "Yep, I knew it. You can't live without me."

Raven saw it and her eyes rolled at his remark, but she was pleased that she did not have to try that scenario.

"Hey, the sun's coming up!" Indeed, it was. After a troublesome afternoon and an eventful night, Raven finally saw a new morning. The sun's presence painted the sky in calm reds and yellows. Unlike the dark sadness that once seemed to hang over the Tower for almost a month, this dawn displayed hope for the future. Because of Beast Boy's selfless act, she was able to see it.

"It's beautiful."

"Yeah, it is."

"And Beast Boy?"

"Yeah?"

"Just so you know: _we_ care about you too."

"Thanks, Rae."

"My name's not… whatever."

* * *

Raven walked into bedroom with a gentle sigh, this one of content. She had not slept since about 3:30 am, but she somehow found energy to go to the party in Beast Boy's honor.

She had to admit, the cake was delicious. It was in Beast Boy's colors, purple with green trim that matched the words, "Welcome Back, Beast Boy!" The frosting was, of course, non-dairy.

She saw the shape-shifter's face explode in glee when he got his presents. Apparently, while Cyborg waited, he ordered the latest edition of the Ninja Monkeys video game—Raven did not even try to remember the number (it was the 7th). Robin got him a card and a DVD of some movie involving monkeys and cops.

Yet that reaction was on a different level from the one he gave when he got Starfire and Raven's gift. When he got the box he immediately tore it apart, but what happened next shocked everyone in the room.

Beast Boy was speechless.

He stared at the purple book in front of him, titled "Memories of BB", and flipped open the pages. In it were pictures of the team joker on various days and in many ways. Some featured himself or the team in Egypt (when the Titans came to help Hotspot, and Beast Boy wanted to take pictures), some with him and honorary Titans (there were five, such as his meeting with Wonder Girl, who he was surprisingly calm around), and still others with him and Terra (the green teen quickly flipped past these pages).

The photo that really made him smile the deepest, though, was one featuring the Titans' first days with the Tower.

_

* * *

_

Reflected light gleaming from the many windows, the massive T in the background seemed to shine with a pride in its own construction. No one could foresee the damage it would take from threats and surprises such as the Hive graduates' invasion, demonic forces, and even the antics of a Robin from another world. For now, though, and hopefully for a long time, it would serve as a symbol of protection to the residents of the city a boat ride away, as well as a great home.

_Robin took a strong stance in the center of the group; though newly a leader at the time, his masked gaze showed anticipation for adventures with his team—_his_ team, the thought that brought out a formerly rare smile onto the picture._

_Starfire stood in her light-purple civilian clothes, close to his left side, her face an orange sun radiating with happiness for her new home. While she would miss her friends and fellow people on Tamaran (though she would be reunited one day), a hand on Robin's left shoulder indicated that new bonds would certainly be formed on the planet Earth._

_Cyborg, arms folded with a casual smile, hung coolly to her left. Behind that smooth façade, however, even he was brimming inside with happiness. Since the accident that claimed his mother's life and left him changed forever, he kept a strained relationship with his father, who paid for the tower's creation. That was the past though, he figured. He did not need high-tech equipment to sense that out of this motley group of ex-sidekicks and misfits, a new family would be born._

_Beast Boy was on Robin's right, and that day he somehow managed an arm around Raven's shoulders in an attempt to get her into the picture. Raven's smile was reluctant; Beast Boy's smile then was just as vibrant as it was today._

_Beast Boy felt the same as Cyborg did, that soon-to-be-familiar grin filled with hope. Both of his previous families may have been taken by tragedy (though one he would later find out still survived), but these… dudes would be his third try. Not to mention, for some strange reason, he wanted to know more about that girl who was… well… a little creepy._

_Raven's light smile masked a bit of apprehension about the entire situation. Maybe she should have left. It was only a matter of time before… before things would get worse. Yet, something told her that the Teen Team—she hated that name, Robin said they would work on it—could help her make up for what would come._

_Besides, the green kid was a little funny._

* * *

Recollection poured into everyone's minds; like the dawn, it was the start of something new. A good feeling swarmed through the quintet huddled around the book of memories.

Thanks to that surge of happiness, Beast Boy would eventually add a new picture to the album.

In his excitement and gratitude in getting the gift, he immediately grabbed the nearest person and kissed them on the cheek.

It was Raven.

Of course, Robin just _happened_ to get a picture of that little moment on his digital camera. Raven was sure that Cyborg would never let the two "lovebirds" live it down.

Raven looked at a copy of the little square memory in her hand—Cyborg figured she would want to remember this. _I can't believe I didn't get back at those boys for this._ Staring at the sight of Beast Boy actually kissing her—she still could not quite accept it—she felt slight warmth rising on her face.

She shook her head and cleared it away. _Oh no. Azarath no. I can't…never!_

Yet she saw the photo again, and a chuckle escaped. _You just keep bothering me, don't you?_ She put the little thing away in her dresser before something else happened.

A small smile graced her pale face as her head hit the pillow. Her last thought as she drifted to sleep:

_You idiot…_

**END**

**

* * *

**

Man, was this a long time coming! Trying to wrap up all of the loose ends (I'd say there were three) and fill in the space between them with meaningful (or at least slightly funny) dialogue was a challenge, but a good one, which is why I kept going. I also hate leaving things incomplete unless I REALLY don't know where to go.

Fortunately, a correspondent of mine who also wrote a really good Teen Titans fanfic titled "Eclipsed" (involving a government agent as well as the girl of the hour here, Raven) gave me a tip on writing around important moments. Here's to SonicHdghog.

**There. I mentioned you. Happy?!?!?**

**Of course, I also have to thank those who story-alerted, faved, and reviewed "You Idiot...", such as:**

**-Wolvmbm (how do you even pronounce your own name?);**

**-rocklee4ever (yeah, Lee's my favorite too);**

**-titanfan45;**

**-almostinsane (hey, me too!);**

**-Sheepsama13;**

**and because I truly believe in her name (yes, I checked, it's a girl);**

**-longliveteentitans.**

**Viva la Titans, indeed.**

**I hope you've all enjoyed the ride I've taken you on. It's been a decent one for me, too. In the meantime, I have a lingering idea cooking up in my head. A oneshot, maybe? Hmm... you'll just have to see for yourself someday, won't you?**

**Till next time, my Titanic readers.**


	8. Part VIIB: Alternate Ending

Author's Note: _Thought_; **Flashback**; _**Thought in Flashback**_

I do not own _Teen Titans_, but I wish I owned a gift for all of you who read and gave me feedback, bearing with me through those annoying chapter interims; between the laziness, the computer screw-ups, college work, all of that.

Oh wait, I just realized: this is that gift!

If you haven't realized by the line with which I started, this chapter starts partway into the original version of Part VII, after BB's revival, and alters from there. Read and review.

* * *

**Teen Titans: You Idiot…**

Part VII-B: An Alternate Path

The young woman waited, closing her eyes and chanting her phrase as the black sky lightened to a navy-blue. The calm breeze lightly skated across her now uncovered violet hair.

_Azarath Metrion Zinthos…_

_Azarath Metrion Zinthos…_

The light shaking in her hands soon subsided. Her resolve returned. She would ask him and then she could end this.

_Azarath Metrion Zinthos..._

_Azarath Metrion Zin-_

She halted as the elevator door to the roof whooshed open.

"Um, hey," a sheepish, slightly cracking voice slipped out.

Her eyes snapped open, but she continued to look into the distance.

"Cyborg told me to come up. I told him I figured you wanted to be alone."

"It's fine," she said with a remembering sigh. The boy was never one to read between the lines. Now she actually wanted him around (if only for this), and he was not even sure if he should have come. She nearly chuckled at the irony.

Though she still did not turn her head, Raven heard the soft stumbling footsteps of the ex-Doom Patroller as he made his way over. At the end of his journey, Beast Boy lightly sat near the edge of the roof, making sure not to jostle any sore spots.

"Cyborg says I've been out for a while, for—what did he say?"

"Twenty-four days," Raven muttered without hesitation.

"Wow." Beast Boy's jaw slacked a bit before giving a chuckle. "I've got a lot of TV to catch up on." The shapeshifter let off his trademark fanged smile, even though his teammate could not see it.

Just then, he noticed a sound he had not heard since he had gone into Raven's mind, this time barely audible, brief, and therefore from the real Raven. "Did you just… laugh?"

"I suppose it had to happen sometime." Truthfully, it had been so long since she heard a joke from the changeling that she did not remember how to prepare herself. There was also the fact that she almost… missed it.

Before she could continue with that, the empath forced her mind to focus on the matter at hand. "Beast Boy…" She finally said his name after so long. Her magic did not seem to slip away from her mental grasp. At least, not yet. "I need to know something."

She truly looked at him for the first time since his reawakening in the infirmary. He wore the same old suit as always, black with purple straight down the middle. The suit hid the scars from various battles, most nearly invisible due to his advanced healing. His face was surprisingly clear and the green of his hair and skin was just as strong as the morning before the incident, again because of his "beast blood."

Considered with his face were, of course, Beast Boy's eyes. The light in them returned since his revival. In the light were the happy memories of his families, both biological and super heroic. It was the same light he had when he was with the team on movie night or after a victory against one of their foes—or when, after an unexpected journey into her mindscape, he actually convinced Raven to leave her room.

She knew that just under the shirt, however, were bandages covering the aftermath of what he did to keep her alive today. She kept that in mind as he turned to her and his face slightly grimaced from the pain. Violet orbs staring into verdant ones, she asked the question.

"Why did you save me?"

His eyebrows raised in surprise. Sure, the question made sense, but he was still not ready to answer. Indeed, he had only been awake for a few hours; he was still trying to walk straight, let alone think about something like this. "Well…" He looked out to sea, focused on the horizon in contemplation. "I don't know exactly. The battle's a little fuzzy in my head, but I do remember seeing you. All I know is when that thing pointed at you, I just _moved_. I also remember that I was… you know… before I blacked out."

She definitely remembered that; it was the last thing she remembered about the incident. "Yes, yes, I know. You used it to save me…again." The cloaked Titan's urge to know grew stronger as she slightly rushed through her words. "But what I want to know is, _why?_"

"Um, I think it's because… uh, because…"Again, the ex-comatose teen tried to think back, focusing his brainpower more than he ever did before. He knew that his Man-Beast form was the strongest in his arsenal, and he knew that he never usually intended to tap into it since the first time he transformed. It was almost as if something guided him, telling him when to use it, maybe his conscience, maybe instinct or the primal side itself. That only happened once before…

* * *

**Beast Boy's mouth gaped in shock and fear. Slade's army of demons, each nearly formless and seeming to be made of the Earth's own lava, swarmed about the now-foursome as the Titans launched a last stand against Trigon and the prophecy. The foreboding sky was black with a crimson haze, a reflection of the intergalactic monster's power as well as the flames left behind by Slade's warpath.**

**He really wished he did not ask, "You and what army?"**

**Yet he recognized that this was not the time to be afraid. Any fear, any doubt, he would let loose on these creatures in front of him. Just behind him was his home—as well as his friend.**

**He saw her tears just a few hours before, when she witnessed the end begin. He heard her messages of hopelessness. Yes, her father was the incarnation of evil, the source of all darkness. Yes, he conquered multiple worlds before his imprisonment. Yes, he chose Raven as the one to help him annihilate the universe. But when that door closed to her security room, as her face hung in sadness and she clutched onto that penny, he made a decision.**

**He felt the beast within spike in power just a bit. It wanted out. Maybe it would get its use after all. His body's flesh began to shift, claws and fangs growing with his conviction.**

_**If they want her, they're gonna have to go through me.**_

* * *

Then everything clicked. He did not need to use his brain to answer this one; the answer lied somewhere else. It was the same reason he used the Beast then, and less than a month ago. It was the same reason that it did not hurt her in the first place, and the same reason _he _never would. It was because…

"Because I care about you."

The spell-caster could only let her jaw slack as his words hit her. A weak "You…" managed to slip out. _He…cares about me?_

She looked into his eyes again; the spark was still there. This time, though, there was something else. It was strong and true. The emotion she felt coming from him carried unfamiliar warmth. His face held no impish grin, no poorly hidden prank. He was dead serious.

"You… care about me." She repeated, this time aloud, just to make sure it was true.

"Yeah, I do." Beast Boy did not know how close he sat by his teammate, so his hand's contact with hers went unnoticed—strangely, by the both of them. Though their conscious minds were unaware, that touch was a trigger for something else entirely.

Neither knew when their bodies moved closer. "If… if you were gone, I'd be destroyed." His hand unconsciously tightened around hers.

"You're my friend, Rae."

She did not even react to the name. The empath's voice was a whisper as the green glow in his eyes entranced her, pulled her in towards him. "You're mine, too."

He was barely an inch away. His voice disappeared.

"Yeah… friends…"

* * *

Cyborg flicked the switch to the infirmary off, a symbol of the end of this worrying ordeal. The technological Titan again let out a good sigh, this one of relief. _All this time and it's finally over… huh?_ He looked up to a peculiar sight, though not quite as much one in his home.

The lights in the hallway crackled with black lightning for the next six seconds.

* * *

Lightning, no, fire…some kind of energy ran through his veins. He could run across Jump City and back; he could fight the Brotherhood of Evil solo! So much assaulted his senses: the scent of old ink and jasmine, the warmth of her body near his, the contact of his lips against—

_Wait._

_I'm…_

"AH!" His scream accompanied, despite the tender spots on his body, an eight-inch backward leap. "R-r-Rae!" –he remembered she did not like the nickname, at least not when he said it— "I mean, Raven, um, I'm so sorry… it-it was an accident! It was th-the moment and… and…"

He ceased his stuttering apology to see the girl he—he did not dare to think the word, her body stock-still, her eyes unblinking. "Uh, Raven?"

Suddenly the Azarathean's form went slack. Beast Boy could barely react to the sudden weight that fell onto his shoulders. A closer look revealed that Raven's amethyst irises replaced themselves with a white glow; she was not here right now. He lightly shook her, thinking something was wrong. "Raven?"

* * *

"**Raven, look out!" The menacing red glow fell into her vision. She handled the robots that had her in a lock, but the laser was too close. She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable. **_**No…**_

**The next sight she witnessed was the Man-Beast, its bloody chest barely rising and falling, the body slowly morphing back into the team's most lively member.**

**Now here he was, still and silent.**

_**Beast Boy… No…**_

**Raven's mind fell into a haze as something within began to take over. Her eyes, now starting to glow white, saw the two-toned machine barely three yards away, its energy nearly gone, a hand disfigured, and its body sparking with loose and frayed wires.**

"_**You." **_**A voice colder than ice echoed from the half-demoness. "**_**You**_** hurt him." Her right arm reached out, her palm wide, and a raven's talon made of black magic, lashed forward to smother the minion.**

**A pale hand sharply closed, and the dismembered robot was now a compact ball of circuits and scrap metal.**

**She turned her head again to the rest of the battlefield, seeing Cyborg fight his last few dozen enemies. The ghostly white glow darkened to ominous red. A black aura surrounded the empath, complete with talons covering her normal hands. Raven, now with anger in control, made a resolution: anything sharing the face of that robot would die.**

* * *

"Raven? Raven, wake up!"

Her mind slowly moved back into the present. "I… I see…"

"Raven, are you okay? Speak to me!"

Beast Boy's attempts to shake her awake began to irritate her. "I'm fine, I'm fine, just let go." She harshly pushed him away.

He sighed in relief, though he admitted to himself, he did not exactly wish to break away from her that abruptly. "Whew. You were gone for quite a few seconds there. I thought I'd have to call Cyborg to take _you_ to the infirmary." Whether that was a joke or not, neither Titan knew.

"Like I said, I'm fine. It's nothing. I've just… had a question answered." She looked at the horizon, the skies changing yet again, now with an orange tint beginning to form.

Beast Boy wondered what exactly the question was, whether it was the one before or entirely new, but he let it slide. "Hmm, okay." Then a thought came to him, and a light smile graced his visage.

"So," If she wanted to ask something, it was only fair that he get to ask a query of his own. "Did you miss me?"

A moment of hesitation surfaced. Should she tell him about the recurring dream since the start of his coma? Should she tell him about the buried memory that just now arose, showing her retaliation for the near-loss of her—well, she had to admit now—her friend? Should she tell him about the tears she shed after seeing him in the infirmary? There had to have been something she could say.

"It was… quiet while you were away."

A smug smile made its presence on the changeling's lips. "Yep, I knew it. You can't live without me."

Raven saw it and her eyes rolled at his remark._ Beast Boy's back, alright._ _That stupid grin of his._ She was pleased, though, that she did not have to try that scenario.

Inevitably, though, it had to come up, and Raven's eyebrows rose in realization. "You just ki—"

The smug countenance fell apart; she could have felt the wash of anxiety from a meter away. "I know, I know, and I'm really, really sorry! I don't even know what came over me—"

"Stop." Again, she canceled the green changeling's blubbering explanation. "It's… it's okay. I'm sure it was just the… the heat of the moment. We reacted to it and…ahem…" Truthfully, she did not know what happened to her either. She just came to terms with merely missing the boy, but the two of them… _that_ was _not_ just friendly. This called for a correspondence with her emotions very soon. "Um, maybe we should keep what happened here to ourselves?"

"Yeah, right… okay." They both knew that if a certain half-robot had ever caught wind of this, he would never leave the "lovebirds" alone. The two simply sat in silence after that, avoiding eye contact and barely suppressing the heat that rose to their faces.

The quiet was broken with a cry of "Hey, the sun's coming up!" Indeed, it was. After a troublesome afternoon and an eventful night, Raven finally saw a new morning. The sun's presence painted the sky in calm reds and yellows. Unlike the dark sadness that once seemed to hang over the Tower for almost a month, this dawn displayed hope for the future. Because of Beast Boy's selfless act, she was able to see it.

"It's beautiful."

"Yeah, it is."

"And Beast Boy?"

"Yeah?"

"Just so you know: _we _care about you too."

"Thanks, Rae."

"My name's not…" she began, but she switched gears instead. "No, I should be thanking you… Garfield."

"Well, I did say that I—" He realized something and quickly turned his head to her. "Hey!"

The "hey" was for two reasons: one was that she used _that_ name (Raven did once say that she would get a lot of mileage out of that), and the other was that she had already phased through the roof, the only evidence of her presence a book titled _Memories of BB_.

In that gift was a load of pictures of him throughout the team's career. Some featured himself or the team in Egypt (when the Titans came to help Hotspot, and Beast Boy wanted to take pictures), some with him and honorary Titans (there were five, such as his meeting with Wonder Girl, around whom he was surprisingly calm), and still others with him and Terra (the green teen quickly flipped past these pages). One or two early photos even had him in that often-ridiculed mask. Of course, the book held some blank pages for any future memories he would end up making.

The shape-shifter decided not to look through every page, though, in order to get to something he noticed fell out of the album. What was once wedged within the last pages was a note:

_Beast Boy,_

_In case I don't say it, thanks for what you did. It was Starfire's idea, but all of us have been working on this for a while._

He almost had a funny thought, but the next words beat him to it.

_Yes, that's right, I've been outside of my room, working with the team. It must be so shocking to you._

_It's not that game you've been crying about, which I'm sure is something about ninja monkeys or whatever, but you had better appreciate this._

_Please don't be so stupid and get hurt like that again, especially for me. I really wouldn't want to work on one of these all over again._

_Raven_

Though he was not the brightest Titan on the team, and he did not catch what she meant before he went to the roof, he could understand the message clearly this time.

If not, the postscript summed it up, and Beast Boy read it with a smile:

_PS_

_Welcome back, you idiot._

**END**

**When I began writing Ch VII, I didn't know whether I wanted to write... what happened here between the two (I hope you know what I mean), or just something else, so I decided on the latter first, leading to that version. After a few weeks of curiosity, I later decided, "Meh, what the heck..." Add that to what I said in my "Note to the Fans", and I ended up writing both versions.**

**So which do you guys prefer? What stood out to you? Feel free to tell me in a review. Oh, and speaking of which, I reached over 50 reviews with this chapter! Thanks for all your encouragement, guys.**


	9. Preview to You Idiot Extra

Author's Note: I don't own_ Teen Titans_, but I wish I could show you what I wrote after this fic...

Oh, wait, I can. And I think I will! Here are some bits from the current "epilogue/sequel" to You Idiot, one of possibly multiple short stories. And don't worry, folks. The fight scene is longer than this.

* * *

**Teen Titans: You Idiot**

Extra - A Preview

It was time to Jacob Reginald Kane to make a move! Yes, today would indeed be a good one, unlike that day a little over a month ago, when a legion of robots led by a bird-like scientist crushed his car into a pancake.

Determined, Jacob took a calming breath, folded up his paper, and stepped out of his seat, hoping to ask Ashley out when the line wore down.

The last customer cleared.

Jacob stepped up to the counter.

He saw those pearly white teeth again as the coffee shop worker opened her mouth…

…and screamed "OH MY GOD!" as a creature fell from the sky, landing with enough impact to flatten the sedan at the curb as well as shatter the café's front window.

The last thing the young corporate flunkie remembered before blacking out from fright at the monster:

_Not my car _again_…_

* * *

"So," Raven gave the obvious question in everyone's heads, "How do we beat this… cat-creature?"

As if that was its name, the leopard-lion ceased sharpening its claws and turned to the team. Its growl noted that the beast did not like to be disturbed. Another strong message was its roar, powerful enough to shatter the windows down the path to the Titans and knock all four off their feet.

The disheveled Cyborg, currently lifting his body off Starfire, had a suggestion:

"I say we hit it."

"And hit it hard," Robin added. Whipping out his titanium staff, the leader gave off his trademark cry:

"Titans, GO!"

* * *

Cyborg decided to fight sound with sound by firing his sonic cannon. The sound waves collided with a boom that caused the asphalt beneath to crack and any bystanders brave enough to stay to cover their ears. The half-robot smirked as the blue blast started to gain ground, only for that same smirk to fall as his arm sparked—the attack from before indeed left some damage.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven shouted her mantra and supported the weakening sonic shot with a black wave of her own, but too late; the resonance of the waves reached its maximum, causing an explosion that knocked her into a street lamp. Darkness swept over her vision as she heard Robin's voice shout.

"RAVEN!"

* * *

**So there you have it, folks! Like I said at the top of the page, it's kind of an epilogue, but I uploaded it here as its own story titled:**

**"You Idiot Extra".**

**Check it out, and when you do (because I **_**know**_** you'll go), follow those words at the bottom that say "Review this chapter". Come on... don't leave the little words lonely and unloved! Click them and give some love!**

**EDIT: As of Sept 11, 2010, another chapter has been added. This new extra features someone I didn't think I'd ever write about... hope you enjoy it.**

**Till next time, my Titanic readers.**


	10. Preview to Another Time and Place

I don't own _Teen Titans_.

But I may own the space/time rift letting me see these events unfold. How else would such stories as these appear?

Unless I just made them up...

* * *

**Robin.**

**Raven.**

**Starfire.**

**Cyborg.**

**Beast Boy.**

**We are all familiar with those commendable crime-fighters, the teenage heroes who smacked down Slade, trounced Trigon, and beat the Brotherhood of Evil. We know their looks, their lives, even their secret identities. We see their world and happily accept it; for some fans, it is the first fantasy world they ever knew.**

**But what of other worlds?**

**What of a world in which one decision changed the entire world's fate?**

**What if Robin began to relish his apprenticeship under Slade? What if Beast Boy saved the Doom Patrol before joining the Titans?**

**What if the Titans were born in a different way altogether?**

**Let us take ourselves to see the lives of our favorite characters...**

**IN ANOTHER TIME AND PLACE...**

**Teen Titans: Another Time and Place**

Preview

The Kingdom of the Leap was a grand one. For generations, the royal family presided with a just hand in a castle of five towers each reaching skyward with pride. Trading boomed thanks to harbors on the western shore, and all directions bore protection of stone walls and skilled soldiers, loyal to the crown.

Yet one group of defenders stood above the rest...

…

"What is it, Timothy?" Richard met him less than a year ago; he was a bit mischievous, but the knight saw his potential. Perhaps, like himself, he could become a squire of a legend one day...

"He... he's here!" Tim's body quaked from fear and lack of breath as he struggled to speak his name.

"Who?" The royal guard's leader shook the boy, who finally snapped into focus.

"The Slayer!"

"_Slade.__"_

**ELSEWHERE...**

Ricky hated crime.

It took his family away from him, all because they wouldn't fold into that protection racket. Sure, there was the Commish, but Bruce couldn't really be there for him with the job. It didn't help that most of the police were in _his_ pocket. They never did catch who pulled the trigger, either, but everyone knew who told the chump to do it.

…

_His_ name was Terrence Trigonius: a big guy—he definitely worked out—messy gray hair spilling down even from his ponytail. Judging from his skin tone, Ricky figured he must have been Italian or from that area of the world.

…

Protection rackets, drug dealing, hell, even prostitution...

Nothing was too low for the Terror to have his giant hands in.

**ELSEWHEN...**

Titans Tower.

A building in the shape of a T would seem simple, maybe foolish. Even after all this time, the older generations still questioned the design. A popular query:

"Just how do those end rooms on the T stay attached, anyway?"

Despite the criticism, and more, it endured. For almost twenty years, the five-story-tall metal letter was a beacon of peace for Jump City. Villains both veteran and in-training, demons, dimension-hoppers, even a plague of mutant moths—all of them failed to permanently topple the Tower.

As for the answer to the T... well, that was Cyborg's secret.

…

"Awfully quiet, isn't it?"

While he grew a little annoyed at her interrupting him all this time, the metal man had to agree. "Yeah... like the calm before the-"

"YOU _CHLORBAG_!"

Another interruption brought a sigh. "And there's the storm."

…

The kitchen counter was covered in what appeared to be the ingredients of a ham, Swiss cheese, ham, roast beef, ham, chicken, ham, cheddar, and ham sandwich... and only one man could even stand to eat that dangerous delicacy.

Incensed, said man demanded the presence of the culprits to the murder. The culprits, in fact, made the centerpiece of the living room disaster, a furious purple blur and a jeering green one zipping about in a dangerous chase. These streaks' names:

"MARTIN, MAR'I, DOWN HERE, NOW!"

* * *

**So, ya curious yet? It's one of my stories that's practically unseen compared to the others, and I forgot to leave a preview before I got through the first part, so I figured I'd tempt you here.**

**Check out the whole thing for yourself, Titanic readers, and if you're willing, leave a review.**


End file.
